Steam-power plant for submarines



lJuly 12, 1927.

W. SCHMIDT STEAM POWER PLANT FOR SUBMARINE'S .eats-Sheet 1 Filed may 11, 1922 Julyy 12, 1927. 1,635,561

w. scHMlDT STEAM POWER PLANT FOR SUBMARINES Filed May 11, 1922 l 2 sheets-sham. .3

[bye/vivi? Y WILHELM Schw/arf Patented July 12, 1927. v

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The invention also consists in certainotherV diromigher fbniiuerrrst thmugh pipesil 1;

65 fsa-id Vengines @being icenneitecb directly with@ the. latter the Water of condensationis conveyed by'pipes 7 to the feed water receptacles L1, L2, L3 referred toy below. During surface travel of the submarine, high-pres- `sure live steam (of 60 atmospheres or over)v passes from the steam space of the boiler F,

FItl the lower portions of the heat-accumulating receptacles J, J2, J2, K1, and K2, for

instance by means of pipes such ,as indicated,

at 8 in Figs. l, 5 and 6. lith live steam of 60 atmospheres,the conte-nts of said receptacles maybe heated to about 2750 centigrade. When traveling 'submerged the reciprocating lsteam enginesA will generally operate alone, thatV is, without thelow pressure turbines B. In Vthis case the reciprocating steam engines `will send their exhaust direct to the condensers C through pipes 6.A These engines take their working steam from the heat accumulators; `at thebeginning it is preferable to use the motive powerof the steam stored in the boiler and inthe superheaters. After this steam has been exhausted, under water travel is continued by taking steam from the receptacles J1, J2, J 3,' through pipes '51, b2, b3, provided with vvalves 724,195 Z2 respectively,and1through apipe which is connected with each of said pipes b1, b2, L2 and leads to the engines, throttling this'steam down, "for instance toflO atmospheres and passing it through the pipes b1 and o into heating coils M1, rM2, situated within the receptacles K1, K2.vv There the steam becomes superheated in accordance with the temperature of the heating-.medium and is thenconveyed. to the reciprocatingste'am engines through the conduits 0.' Thus,-'at the beginning, only `suxperheating'heat will betaken from the revcfe'ptacles' K1, K2, and only after the other 2,10'

` fully,'thefreceptacles K1,*`K2, will be called upon to supply heat Yfor generating steam.

accumulatingV receptacles have been utilized :Since onlyrasmall degree L(if s uperheating is attainable-1 for ythe live steam, the' greater' Y portionfoftheheat accumulated willbe ein` `r`ployedl forthe superheatii'lg of intermediate jacent tothe engines' A -`are constructed as intermediate superheaters for the two lower stages; for instance, these receivers may' contain heating coils cl2, d2 heated by meansdot accumulator steam takenv from the receptaclesK1, K2,`tli'rough narrow pipes or con- "duits e, while' tliesteam coming` fromthe 'first intermediate pressurecylinders A2 and vfrom `the second'iintermediate Vpressure cylindersmA'3 would pass around said pipesc, through the receivers vNfand N2 respectively. Preferably, the intermediate superlieateis N 1, N2,arelocatedlat'such avhighllevel that the` con densationproductformedjduringA the intermediate Vsuperlieating will automatically flow 'back/'to the accumulator receptacles through conduits f. With low powers'the Hjw of the condensation 'product will i result 'of the boat.

merely from the dilferencein level between the intermediate superheaters located at a relatively high level and the receptacles K1,

K2 giving ott the superlieating,steain,and' located at a relatively lowlevel, WVith high powers, however, the condensation product must be conveyed by mechanical devices tol the receptacles J1, J2, J 3 giving'oft'the'vvorking steam, in which the pressure has been somewhat reduced. The difference in pressures occurring fin this Lcaseyenables the intermediate superheaters tor be heated morey strongly. Furthermore, the heat contained Vin the liquid condensation -productis rendered available .for Vthe. further generation of steam. rlhe intermediate*"superheaters would, in this case, preferablyl be heated by means oi a liquid having a vhighfboiling point. lt is true that this would require special circulating'p'umps which are not necessary when steam heating Yis employed'. As

long as the receptacles J1, J2, J3 areable to supply steam :tor operatingthe engines, the

heat stored in the receivers-1Q, K2 is used only for superlieating such steam. "When the temperature of the. contents'fof these receivers has dropped to a point at which'it. isk

insufficient for a material or serviceable superheating or" such steam, or when tlie'steam supply stored fin the lreceptacles J1, J2, J3 has been exhausted, .heat for 'generating steam is-takenv from said receivers K1, K2.

For this purpose, the conduits b are shut conveyed to the intermediate .superheaters N 1, N 2, but directly to' the high-pressure cylinders A1;

oil, and the steam from Vthepipese is not f this may' beA effectedthrough Y o'l the submarine in order lto avoidfany change in 'the' equilibrium or yleveluposition FromA thei receptacles L1, L2, L3, the heated feed wateris conveyedv to .the boiler in any well-.known or approved manner. l Y .The method described above, of utilizing the accumulated heat for under Vsurface travel, also oii'eis 'great advantages for sur-r lacetravel. In the latter case, contraryzto what is doneli'or submerged travel,.the high pressure steam produced in the boiler/ is, for the 'purpose of the `fullest possibleutilizati'on of the heat,lca`used to operate in the steamy engine lwithout any throttling, lsince inthis case, the steam may be superl'ieated twice by furnace gases, and thus receivefsufncient superheat for the two upper stages of for instance a quadruple expansion. engine.

-When employing a high live steam pressure of for instance 60 atmospheres, anda.

' considerable degreefof expansion intoa vacv heating the intermediate steam, Awhich. areVV uum, the two lowerinost stages, Vor at leastv the last stage would lack.` the superheat required to prevent condensation on the Walls of the engine, then, the devices for superintended for submerged travel, are prefer-l ably also used during surface travel. For

this purpose, the steam exhausting fromV the first intermediate pressure cylinders/A2 is passed to the receivers N1, to bethere superheated in themanner set forth above, and the steam on its Way from the second intermediate cylinders A? to the loW pres` A sure` cylinders A4 ispassed through the receivers N2, to be superheated in them. 'The steam for `heating the coils'dz, d2 of these receivers or siiperheaters is taken from the heat storing receivers K1 K2 throughtlie conduits .6. f y p t n The devices employed for the eficient utilization of the stored heat during submerged travel also improve the fuel consumption of vaction for surface travel as With the oilelectric drive hitherto employedl for subout departing from the die marines. i g l Various' modifications may be made Withspirit and scopeof my invention. Y

I claim:

`l. A power plant for submarines, coni-' prising a multiple stage steam engine, a

receiver connected with successive stages of' said engine so that steam Will pass throughV said receiver on its Way4 from one stage to a lower pressure stage, Yai storage receptacle having connections to' receive live. ,Steam during surface travel of ltlie submarine, and to supply steam to, the-.enginer during sub-v merged travel, Aanother storage receptacle` Y .havingacoiinection to store heat during surface tra-vel, a'lieating coil located Within said, receiver and having a connectionpto receive stored heat from said second-named ree ceptacle, during/submerged travel, and

thereby -superheat the `steam ,'.Which passes thi'ough'said receiver on its yWay from one stage to another, and. a conduit for conveying the condensation productvfrom said -coil tothe lower portion of the first-named receptacle i 2. A power plant for driving submerged submarines comprising a steam engine having a pluralityo'f stages, a heat accumulator consisting of tWov parts each containing'hot Water of a pressure of at least 30 atmospheres, the Water in `one of said partsfserv#v ing toy produce steam While the Waterin the other accumulatorfpart vserves to superheat 'y the steam'which is about to be admitted to,

the intermediate engine. p Y v Y p 8. A' power plant for submarines', comand lowerstages of ythe'V prising a steam generator, ay multiple stage steam engine, a connection for'fconveyiiig steam' from said generator to the highest stage of'said engine, av heat accumulator, a connection for conveying steam from said generator to. saidl accumulator, a connection:

for conveying steam froml saidaccumulator to the higheststage. of said engine, a Super- 1 heater interposed between tvvo stages of said engine, and a connection for conveying steam from lsaid accumulator to`said-super heatery to superlieat the steam Which` is on its Way'from one stage of saidengineto the next.

.WILHELM scni'ifin'r;l 

